Poll: GOP voters still not happy with choices

By: Tucker Reals
Topics: Polling ,; Campaign 2012

CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.

Overwhelming dissatisfaction with the direction in which our country seems to be heading, and mediocre approval ratings for President Obama, should provide plenty of opportunity for Republican presidential candidates to find traction.

But a new CBS News/New York Times poll suggests the current field have a long way to go to impress the nation's conservative-minded voters.

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While Republicans are more enthusiastic than Democrats about the presidential elections in 2012, Republican voters remain entirely un-enthused by their current options -- they're still waiting for one of the field to step up and shine, or for a new face to spring from the shadows.

Only 23 percent of Republican voters said they were satisfied with the candidates running for their party's nomination, while a solid majority of 71 percent said they'd like to see a new face in the mix.

That's in spite of the fact that President Obama's overall approval rating remains at a fairly unimpressive 47 percent - down one percentage point from a poll conducted just three weeks ago - and a consistent majority say they're dissatisfied with his handling of the economy.

The lack of enthusiasm is so pervasive that 67 percent of Republicans who responded to the CBS News survey couldn't even pick one candidate from the current field who they'd be happy to support.

Seven percent of self-described Republicans said they were enthusiastic about Mitt Romney's candidacy, and Michele Bachmann, who has stolen the spotlight in recent days, got the same backing. Two percent threw their backing to Herman Cain. None of the other candidates managed to garner more than 1 percent of the Republican respondents' backing.

Read the complete poll (PDF)

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This poll was conducted among a random sample of 979 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone June 24-28, 2011. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

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Tucker Reals
Tucker Reals is a senior news editor and overnight site editor for CBSNews.com, based at CBS News' London bureau.

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by Guitfiddel July 3, 2011 1:20 AM EDT: What this Republican line up is basically is a bunch of Paul Ryan Prototypes. They're all saying the same thing in different ways which is they all have these GREAT IDEAS for the economy and JOBS! But, the underlying factors bring up the questions: What's going on in their OWN STATES? What have each one of these individuals done for the economy and JOB CREATION in the STATES they COME FROM? In other words, how in the hell are you going tune up everybody else's car in the neighborhood and you don't have the ability to tune up your own car correctly or make it run right? If you hire$$$ someone to paint your house don't you want to see an example of their work? Better yet, I would want to see their house. What? You're going to clean my kitchen while yours is falling apart? Just asking.; Reply to this comment


by spokeperson June 30, 2011 12:11 PM EDT: At times one wonders whether or not te enemy has infiltrated the Republican Party.

Trump was my choice-he certainly had a voice--and spared no words on how he felt.

The Republicans better come up with a definitive voice--or the Tea Party will come up with their own.

Obama is so repetitive and isn't saying anything new--he comes up tax hikes to the millionaires--but in the same next hand--tax credits (under the board) will balance itself out.; Reply to this comment


by DejaVu531 June 30, 2011 11:10 AM EDT: Polls ARE meaningless -- especially internet polls, now that we know the MIC is using sock puppet software to skew results.

TPTB are trying to minimize Ron Paul's popularity because following the US Constitution will put their butts out of business. Ron Paul 2012!; Reply to this comment


by KYJurisDoctor June 29, 2011 10:14 PM EDT: Count me in as SADLY UNIMPRESSED with my GOP choices so far. If nothing changes, I may sit this one out! http://OsiSpeaks.com; Reply to this comment


by NeoArcaneAntiques June 29, 2011 7:25 PM EDT: It is about time the 1st round elections in each party include a 'None of the above' - but then we'd have to get the courts to refuse allowing some moron to change his name to 'None of the above'. We have NO CHOICE under the current system of "chose the least disagreeable candidate". Until the people can force the party to give us candidates WE choose and want to represent US - we're just the faceless masses selecting from the list the "inner circle" allow to run... Maybe its time for another Ross Perot to come in and take 19% - or take it all... When in the course of Human Events...; Reply to this comment

by trucorgi June 29, 2011 7:20 PM EDT

Out of your random sample of 979 adults nationwide 1/3 are Democrats. Who cares what Dems think of the candidates in the Republican primary. We conservatives are waiting for Sarah Palin or Rick Perry to get in.

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by cubscout09 June 29, 2011 8:12 PM EDT: Read the poll. It shows that Palin & Perry each earned 1% of the Republican vote.


by jeannettelj June 30, 2011 9:09 PM EDT: Tweedledum and tweedeldee.


by boblublaw June 29, 2011 5:37 PM EDT: a vote for the acorn president is a vote against your children.; Reply to this comment

by GulfFrit June 29, 2011 5:28 PM EDT

I'd like to know who you polled, CBS - real Republicans?
I'd far prefer any in this field to the present POTUS, and so would all Republicans and most independents.
CBS isn't known for its accurate polls.

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by mikelpond June 30, 2011 1:05 PM EDT: typical repubican trying to pose as an independant because that party is disgraced. He's a real republican, you can smell him from here.


by Guitfiddel July 3, 2011 12:49 AM EDT: I don't think Americans want to let go of their Social Security and Medicade and countless other Social Programs that help them to offset TAX BREAKS for the RICH, Corporations and Oil Companies that already get TAX SUBSIDIES. I think most of them will see the light.

by mikelpond June 29, 2011 5:15 PM EDT

dig up Reagan, he couldn't smell worse than this lot.

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by Guitfiddel July 3, 2011 12:41 AM EDT: I don't know. That "TRICKLE DOWN THEORY THINGY" doesen't seem to be working to well. As a matter of fact I think it's been more like a "PEE ON THEIR HEADS AND TELL EM' ITS RAINING" theory.

by noloyalisti June 29, 2011 3:54 PM EDT

What do the Republicons expect from a failed and obsolete party. There are enough right wing wackos in the Democratic Party, we don't need the Republicon Party.

I guess after 30 years of failure, people are finally getting the message.

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